Video podcasts - they ain’t what they seem

A lot of people come to me asking whether they should video their podcast interviews and upload it on to YouTube.

On the surface, that’s sounds great. But you need to consider a quite a few things first.

No one better explains the truth about video podcasts than Pat Flynn.

I strongly suggest you watch his 11-minute video on this topic:

Audio equals retention

 Pat asks you to consider your own YouTube viewing habits. Unless your video podcast is visually appealing – and/or if you are interviewing someone famous – very few people will watch two talking heads for any longer than a few minutes.

That’s the whole point of audio podcasts. The power that podcasts wield is that you can listen while you’re doing something else: driving, walking, jogging, etc.

That’s why 33% of Australians are listening on average five episodes and seven hours every week.

The average YouTube video is consumed within minutes, before the consumer moves on to something else.

Most podcast episodes are either listened to through their entirety or close to their entirety. YouTube videos don’t come close to that retention.

Why aren’t audiobooks videoed?

Have you ever listened to an audiobook? An audiobook is the audio version of a book, either read by the author themself, or by a voiceover artist. There is no video version. It doesn’t make sense, does it? No one in their right mind would watch someone read a book for eight or nine hours.

The same goes for a lot of interview-style podcasts.

But, you can still use video for your podcasts in a powerfully engaging way.

For instance, if you carved up small video snippets of the long-form interview into bite-size chunks, add in B-roll, captions and other visuals, you can provide a great experience for those scrolling through social media, or even your own YouTube channel.

Keep each video short, sharp and relevant.

Done well a video version can indeed be effective way to both promote your podcast and your brand.